


mother of monsters

by maviswrites



Series: Missing "Wizards" Moments [3]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Backstory, Changeling Lore (Tales of Arcadia), Changelings, Explanations, Gen, Missing Scene, Villains, basically i wanted to get into the birth of changelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maviswrites/pseuds/maviswrites
Summary: Missing scene from "Wizards", set after the Camelot tournament and before the Battle of Killahead. Morgana has built Gunmar his soldiers; now she must show him how to make changelings.
Relationships: Morgana | Pale Lady & Gunmar
Series: Missing "Wizards" Moments [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053761
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	mother of monsters

**Author's Note:**

> This is another scene that I just wanted to see, though I can understand why they couldn't make time for it. Morgana made one changeling in canon before losing the war. Gunmar must have learned her magics and picked up the mantle.
> 
> Blinky describes changelings as trolls affected by dark magic to take on their human form. This requires that Gunmar have access to troll younglings from the Darklands, so I guess they must steal them through Fetches, just like they do with the human babies.

“I will teach you my great magics—the magics of the Arcane Order,” the Mother of Monsters says. Her face is obscured by the helmet, but he knows her well enough, has seen her in the hunting parties that dare trespass into his forest, that those green eyes spark his memory.

Gunmar narrows his eye. “I have seen you before,” he snarls. “On the battlements, at Arthur’s side. You are his kin!”

“I am _your_ kin!” she shouts, flying in the air so that she floats above his head, forcing him to look up to meet her eyes. “We have already said all this!”

“I do not trust you,” he spits out the words, aware that she is too close to his face. Nearby, Bular readies himself to fight, if necessary. His worthy son—nearly killed by those fleshbags for, what, a game? “You will turn on us, like all humans do, and then we will be left with nothing!”

She blinks, frustrated, steepling her thin, human fingers over the bridge of her nose. “I will not betray you the way others have. But, should your fears come to pass—” he growls, and she raises her hands, floating down as she backs away “—I will not leave you defenseless. That is why I wish to share with you the gift of my magic. Let me show you how to make my changelings.”

“Changelings?” Bular speaks, his tone scornful. “That thing at the tournament?”

“Yes. He was my first—a successful attempt, yes, but not the best. Nor the last. They will be servants to you, trolls shaped to look like humans. Able to walk in daylight. Able to be your spies in the human world. They can warn you of oncoming attacks, reveal to you your secret advantages. And best of all,” her eyes glint green under her golden helmet, “no one will suspect them. For they will blend in with the humans. You will replace human children with them, and they will grow up undetected.”

Gunmar grunts. Human-looking trolls? Weaklings. _Impures._

…But they could serve a purpose.

“Let me teach you how to make my monsters,” she murmurs, her voice seductive with the promise of power. She stretches her arm forth, the green one of magic. “And you will win this war, and any after it. We will bring the Eternal Night, and your kind shall rule the world.”

He reaches forward to clasp her hand. “Agreed.”

She shows him her secrets. The battle comes... and they lose, an unimaginable thought. He has no chance to test this strange magic of hers—to try his hand at the familiars—until she is gone, and he and the Gumm-Gumms are trapped in an empty darkness. From then on, he can only plan, and wait for the day he is freed from the Darklands.

With little choice, he carves out his kingdom of shadows. He orders the Dwoza troll that was dragged through the portal to try his hand at contacting Bular through Fetch portals, and he instructs the goblins to prepare themselves for childrearing. And then, he tries the Pale Lady’s magics.

The first changeling is made using an infant boy from a Camelot village, stolen through Dictatious’ Fetch by a goblin, and a youngling stolen from the encampment of trolls that remain near there. The smell of tender human flesh after months imprisoned is sweet, but the Gumm-Gumms restrain themselves at his command. Gunmar looks down at the child in its cradle, already lulled to sleep by the goblin’s off-key humming and the magical formula that will preserve its life. Its cradle bears its name.

Waltolomew Strickler.

He smiles grimly, glancing toward the troll transformed with the Pale Lady’s magic to resemble the baby. This new “Strickler,” already nicknamed Stricklander, is young, but he has been trained, he knows his purpose. “You shall serve me in the realm of daylight,” he booms. “You will avoid suspicion. You will report to my son, Bular. And you will find new candidates, new human younglings to be replaced by my changelings. Do you understand, impure?”

Stricklander bows his head, using his changeling magic to switch to his human self. “I do.”

“Then go. Before your human parents miss you,” he mocks lightly. The Gumm-Gumms behind him watch in awe as the false human child is transported through the Fetch, to fulfill their agenda in secret.

There is a moment of silence. From here on out, it is a waiting game.

“The Pale Lady is gone, for now, but her magics still work for our favor,” he says, once the changeling is gone. “We will bide our time, and soon enough, we shall break free.”

The Gumm-Gumms cheer.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please consider leaving a comment :)


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